Instead of analyzing the classic and slightly cliche Pink Floyd album cover The Dark Side of the Moon, I choose to analyze the album cover for Wish You Were Here. What I like most about the album cover is how it uses the white negative space to emphasize and make the viewer focus on the central image of the album cover. The central image shows two businessmen shaking hands, while one is on fire. The businessman on fire represents someone getting “burned” or hurt. The theme of the album Wish You Were Here is about absence, both emotionally and physically. I believe that this theme correlates to the album cover because people become absent in fear of being “burned” and hurt. In the years leading up to the album’s release, Pink Floyd dealt with much absence both within the band and in their personal lives. Former band member Syd Barret became absent due to his drug problems. Additionally, some band members had relationship problems with their wives due to emotional unavailability. The accumulation of absence in the band member’s lives fueled the theme for the Wish You Were Here album and its cover.
